Baby it's Cold Outside!

I just can't seem to stop thinking about snowflakes! And this set from Kitchen Sink Stamps isn't helping any! Snow Flurry is such a cute and versatile set...

And here is another confession... this is the first time I have used the Stickles I have owned for over a year!

Paper: Shimmery White, Bashful Blue, Brushed Silver. Ink: Night of Navy, Bashful Blue. Accessories: Stickles, White organdy ribbon, 3D "dew drop" like embellishment by unknown maker.

Christmas Q and A

I saw this on someone else's blog and thought it was fun...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I aim to use wrapping paper, but every year I end up using gift bags at the last minute!

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. We have a cat... I can just see her drinking the water out of the tree stand... ick!

3. When do you put up the tree? I still have time right?

4. When do you take the tree down? Before Valentine's Day! :)

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A pink, retroish Boom-Box... it was a cassette player... pre-CD players... Yes, I am that old.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes... I am not at all a religious person... but I think it's important for my son to be educated about all the major religions. So yes, I have a Fisher Price nativity set. I also have a menorah.

8. Hardest person to buy for? This year... maybe my husband, because he wants NOTHING.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My son... I have to restrain myself at this point to stop buying.

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? My sister once gave me stretch-mark cream... and she was so miffed when I didn't get excited about it that she took it back!

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? oh... I want to say mail... I don't think you can email a Christmas card. What would Emily Post say? But I doubt I will get cards out in time! I think this year I might be mailing Valentines instead.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life... or A Christmas Story.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In October.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? If by "recycled" you mean "re-gifted"... Heck ya!

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? As far as sweets go; my grandma's Melt-a-way Cookies. As far as savory foods go;Prime Rib with yorkshire pudding please.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Tiny colored balls.

17. Favorite Christmas song or album? "A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector". It's so great... Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals; what's not to love. (besides Phil Spector being so creepy nowadays!)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay HOME.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Do I really need to prove it? Ok, fine... Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen... and Rudolph... and Olive.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? An pretty hand crafted angel my mother gave me.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning. How can you open gifts before Santa comes?

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? I don't know... I love it all!

23. What is the “silliest” family tradition you do, or miss doing? My husband's family has the "Christmas Eve Gift". It started when my husband and sister-in-law were kids... the first kid to be the first on Christmas Eve (12:01 AM on 12/24) to shout "Christmas Eve Gift!" would get a special gift; usually something silly. Now we actually call my in-laws to try to win!

24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? I refuse to answer, as it's likely that I own and display some of the ugliest decorations ever invented.

25. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? I have a homey tree... but a theme tree can be cool too.

26. Gingerbread or sugar cookies? Sugar... with royal icing.

My Paper Pine Cone

Inspired by all the wonderful paper trees and ornaments I have been seeing in "scrapland" and "stampville"... I thought I'd create a paper pine cone.

I wish I could tell you who makes this paper... I bought it at Target. It has a wonderful, flocked scroll/vine pattern. A 6" tall Styrofoam egg serves as the base. I used my Stampin' Up! oval punch to make the pine cone scales. I partially folded each oval to help give some dimension and tapered the size of the scales to a smaller oval close to the top of the egg. Small pins hold the scales in place.

Skating Anyone?

I wish I could recall where I first saw this idea... using paper clips as the blade of a skate... I just love it! The skate is easy enough to make. I just folded a rectangle of Confetti White paper in half and traced my design on, lining up the bottom of the skate with the fold of the paper. Then you just slip the paper clip in place and glue the fold shut.

I sponged SU! Close to Cocoa ink on the edge of the skates to antique them and "laced" them shut with Linen Thread. The scalloped circle is antiqued with White Craft Ink and then I dotted the scallops with a clear Sakura Glaze pen. All stamps are Kitchen Sink Stamps; "Never a Loss for Words", and "Snow Flurry" were the sets I used.

Paper: SU! Kraft, Confetti White, Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip. Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip and White Craft. Accessories: Clear Sakura Glaze Pen, Paper clips, Linen Thread, flat back pearls by unknown maker.

More on Christmas

Just a helpful hint for those of you who might be new to "Sarah and the Stampstars!" If you'd like to see more Holiday stuff you can easily check out LAST year's Christmas related posts by clicking on the Tag for Christmas... or just click HERE.

The Weather Outside is FRIGHTFUL!

I am snowed in! Perhaps I am a wimp... I have lived in the Chicagoland area most of my life... you'd think I'd be used to it by now. I have 7-8 inches of snow outside my window. I was unable to snap a good picture for you today, as I didn't want to get out of my jammies... but trust me; it's enough snow to make you want to stay indoors, drink hot cocoa and make soup.

So that is exactly what I did!

I also made a card...

I just love these Christmas Skull images by justjohanna. The card is colored with Copic Markers and embellished with A Muse Card candy "bling".

Striped Tidings for You

Well, I am still out of commission... But I am feeling better. Thank you all so much for your emails and comments! It really means a lot to me!

I guess while I am just sitting around...and since I can't really stamp yet... I have no excuses but to update my blog and online galleries! Here is a Lizzie Anne Designs card I made a few weeks back using the versatile set "Glad Tidings".

I used markers (Garden Green, Celery, Real Red, & Summer Sun) to color the tree. The striped paper is by Daisy D's (they have SUCH cute designs!) Other paper by Stampin' Up!; Kraft, Vanilla and Blue Bayou. Wide grosgrain ribbon in Real Red by SU!

Two Days in a Row!

That's right... it's me again... two days in a row baby! Somebody give me a cookie.

So here is my second Glad Tidings Card with Lizzie Anne Designs images. I especially love the scalloped chipboard circle (SU!) covered with Vintage Glass Glitter in Antique Silver by Art Institute Glitter Inc. It actually looks like crushed mercury glass.... it is just lovely! I used Heat and stick powder to set the glitter. I seriously want to glitter everything after playing... it is just gorgeous stuff... the picture doesn't do it justice. It really reminds me of vintage glittered letters. I think I am going to glitter up some chipboard letters with this for Holiday packaging!

The embossed base paper is like 7 years old... I really have no idea who made it... maybe Anna Griffin? The harlequin pattern is by the Paper Studio. The ink is all Stampin Up!... Basic Black, Moss and Rose Red (I used markers on the holly leaf and berries). Ribbon by JoAnne Craft Essentials.

I am loving Vanilla and Black with a touch of color for the Holidays. It's got a folksy sort of feeling to it.

Stay tuned to see if I can post 3 days in a row! :)

Holiday Elegance

Just a a simple, elegant Holiday card with Lizzie Anne Designs Stamps. I used only one color of ink; Close to Cocoa by Stampin' Up! The pine cones were stamped on Whisper White and framed by Chocolate Chip. The stripe on the bottom is Blush Blossom, the card base is Close to Cocoa highlighted by SU! designer paper. The ribbon is a pale blush ribbon by Martha Stewart Crafts... it's so luscious!

I really loved working with this Lizzie Anne set "Glad Tidings". I coordinates well with many Stamping Up! punches and it's so sophisticated.

Sorry for the lack of posting... I am just trying to catch up with some "life" related stuff... housework, laundry, holiday preparation... but I will have some fun holiday projects to share really soon... so please keep coming back!

Have a great week everyone!

Handmade for the Holidays!

I am Back!

I have a lot to discuss too! But It's 3:00 AM... so it ain't gonna happen tonight! lol! But I do have a fun Lizzie Anne Designs project for you!

I have a whole post in the works about my wonderful weekend at the Scrapbook Manor... go ahead and book your weekend NOW... we had so much more fun than we even thought we'd have... what a value! Stay tuned for that.

Now some craftyness...

So I scored these little triangle boxes at Paper Source (sorry... can't find the actual product link... but you could call them up). They are wonderful quality... almost like a watercolor paper texture. I thought they'd be splendid trees! I stamped the base with Wild Wasabi (my favorite Christmas green) with the new LAD set In the Background. Boy do these unmounted stamps make THAT process super easy!

But let's take a closer look at good ole Santa (also a new stamp from LAD)... I stamped him on whisper white CS with Black Archival Ink and colored with Copics... but not the hat... that was stamped on Real Red and pieced in place to achieve a nice bold color... and the beard and hat trim were stamped on a fuzzy flocked paper (unknown maker) with Staz-On and also pieced in place! I just love when a project is tactile like this one is.

Santa is placed in a Wasabi Tag that I cut out with the Cricut Expressions... and no... I don't OWN a Cricuit Expressions... but I NEED one now... I fell in love with the Cricut at the Scrapbook Manor!

Is It Christmas Yet?

Are you getting ready for Christmas yet? Well this little Santa by Lizzie Anne Designs may be a nice addition to your Holiday Stamping Collection...

Isn't he a doll? Santa and his matching sentiment are available at Lizzie Anne Designs... and both for under $4.00! They have lots of new images to check out. The background stamp I used is also new... from the set "In the Background". Hard to see in this picture... but I used Sparkling White Cardstock for the base of the card. Real Red paper and ink as well. Little tiny rhinestones were adhered to the background.

I colored Santa with Copic Markers and flocked his hat... I also added some sparkle to his beard.

Merry Christmas!

Why I am Covered in Glitter

Here are a couple of the reasons I am covered in glitter... I made these for a contest my upline is having; we were challenged to create something with Dazzling Diamonds. Special thanks to my Darling Hubby who snapped these pics so I could get out the door on time yesterday. This week is so darn busy!

The scoop on this card can be found HERE. Most of the Dazzling Diamond application on this card was done with Heat and Stick Powder... a product I love! Even the brads were glittered with Heat and Stick Powder.

What to do with all those red Mailboxes you bought at Target??? I used Dazzling Diamonds and heat and stick powder to coat a sheet of Whisper White paper and made it into "snow"! Shee the rest of the details HERE.

My justjohanna stamps are also on their way to me... so I am planning projects in my head and sketching. I can't wait to hold them in my hands and STAMP with them! I can't even THINK about all the other stuff I need to get done this month... it's just crazy around here. Meanwhile I am trying to clean up my stamp area and clean out all my retiring stuff; watch for an online garage sale real soon!

The Perfect Cookie

Today I share with you the perfect cookie; "Kima's Melt-a-ways". Kima was my Grandmother, and this was her most famous cookie. It was tradition in our family to go to her home on Christmas Day. She always baked a tray of melt-a-ways for us to share... they were gone BEFORE dinner! Melt-a-ways are so soft and buttery... the name says the rest. The recipe is very simple; and you probably have everything you need in your pantry. They are easy to make, and I promise you will love them.


Kima's Melt-a-way Cookies

1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
3/4 Cup Cornstarch
1 Cup Flour
sift dry ingredients and blend with...
1 Cup Softened Salted Butter (must use real butter)

Bend until creamy. Refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper. Roll dough into marbles no larger than 1". Place on cookie sheet and press down lightly with palm. Cookies will not spread much so you can place them close together on the sheet. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until edges turn slightly golden. Allow to cool slightly on sheet before transferring to a rack to cool throughly.

The Frosting

Melt 2 Tablespoons Butter in a microwave safe dish. Combine with 1 Cup Powdered Sugar. Add a very small amount of milk and stir until frosting is smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too watery add more powdered sugar. Kima used to dye her frosting pink; but I like them plain and buttery looking.

Frost cooled cookies with an offset spatula. If you like you can top with sprinkles of your choice or leave plain. Let set until frosting hardens slightly. Store in a covered container for several days or freeze.

Makes approximately 30 cookies. Do not double recipe but instead make 2 separate batches.

Dysfunctional Family Bingo

BINGO game: close up on family
Originally uploaded by wardomatic.

I first read about Dysfunctional Family Bingo in the December 2002 issue of Oprah's "O" Magazine. Martha Beck wrote a wonderful article on how to kick up the "fun" in Dysfunction... Here's how to play:

Before the next holiday event, gather up your friends and family and make your bingo cards. I use a 5X5 square grid.. .but you can decide on more squares or less depending on the dysfunction in YOUR family. Now everyone fills in their individual cards. Think about those things that you might expect to see at your Holiday family gatherings. In my case for example I might write; "Mom is passive aggressive", "Dad tries to sell me vitamins", or "Molly is late and misses dinner". Each player will have their own unique card.

Now you could play for money... or just for bragging rights... but the best part is that those things that made you cringe in the past will now make you squeal with delight! This year when your grandma pours her 5th martini and yells at your father you can pull that card out of your pocket and place an "X" in that square!

I hope your Family Holiday Parties are as Entertaining as Mine!

I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas!

I love that Shabby Chic meets ultra modern look; I had a super cute gift bag with Real Red, Bravo Burgundy and Pretty in Pink dots... so I thought I'd try to make a tag to match! I used Snow Flurries and Little Pieces (big dot)... an eraser from a pencil was used to make the small dots in White Craft ink. The sentiment "Happy Holidays" from the hostess set Warmest Regards was stamped in Real Red craft ink, then embossed with detail clear powder... as was the smaller chipboard circle on the left. On Board Accent rounds, a clear button stamped with white Staz-on and a small burgundy off brand button complete the look! I like how it turned out. I only wish I had straightened my bows a bit before I snapped this shot!

Cutsie Christmas Clip!

Who wouldn't love this little clip! Use it to affix a gift tag to a ribbon... or place a magnet on the back and hang a note for Santa on your fridge!

Easy to make: I found the striped paperclips at an office supply store...BUT you could use a red sharpie to add striped to a white jumbo paper clip. The head is just a clear glass fishtank bauble. I stamped the face with classic ink on Whisper White Stampin' Up! Card Stock, then punched it out with my !/2 inch round punch. The circle is then glued to the bauble using Crystal Effects. The clip is also glued on with Crystal Effects. A little red Grosgrain ribbon scrap completes the look!

It's easy to make a bunch of these little sweeties! Enjoy!